Jaya halts TN nuke project for now, over to PM

An 11-day fast against the Kudankulam Atomic Power Project ended on Wednesday after chief minister J Jayalalithaa declared that the state cabinet will pass a resolution, seeking to stop work on the project till people's fears were allayed.

Jayalalithaa told a delegation of protesting villagers that the resolution will be passed on Thursday. She also agreed to withdraw cases filed against protesters, who had gone on fast against the Indo-Russian project at Idinthakarai, 2 km from the plant.

SP Udaykumar, convener of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy, which spearheaded the protest, said Jayalalithaa invited them to join an all-party delegation from the state, which will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later this month.

Narayanasamy told Jayalali-thaa he will convey her comments to the PM, who will take a final call on the project in Tirunelvelli district, 650km south of Chennai.

'Need to Convince people of safety'A top government official said accidents at nuclear power plants in some technologically advanced countries raised fresh concerns about the safety of nuclear reactors.

"There are people who are concerned about safety and we have to convince them first. That is part of democracy," the official said.